[medieval knievel]

there's a green area outside my girlfriend's house, which was covered in poor subsoil by the builders as a perverse way of 'landscaping' the green. at the moment, there are reeds growing in it, due to the poor drainage, despite the green being on a gentle slope.

anyway, on the far side of the green is an industrial estate, and i was thinking it'd be a good idea to buy a few dozen whips and plant them to provide screening. but what tree would do good in heavy subsoil from the word go? i'd prefer native, if possible.

there are other issues outside the scope of a strictly gardening nature - e.g. i not sure if the estate has been taken in under council management, and how would someone react to trees being planted there without permission, be they council or landowner; plus how to stop kids from uprooting young trees? the kids in the estate would mainly be young enough, between five and ten years old.

[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

Alnus glutinosa (Our native black Alder) Irish Alder info here.

Many the Salix (Willow) Irish willow info here.

Try to improve the soil as much as you can in each planting pit though. A 50/50 topsoil/compost mix or topsoil/well rotted fym.

[Sb]

Poplars will grow in poor soils as well. There is a native one that gpi wrote about before. You should find it by searching native trees.